ttob16

The Testimony of Believers

Lesson Sixteen: by turtle

Being straight to the point is often better then subtleties, because there is no mind game involved. Jesus is often straight to the
point even talking straight to the person involved with the disagreement. When Christ spoke in parables it was a more subtle
approach to being direct. This next section of verse clearly express directive ness to those he spoke too. He uses the man with a
condition called dropsy which basic is a problem of excess of water or fluid build up. He ask the religious leaders and the lawyers
was it lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Only to give them food for thought by saying do you not pull your ox that is fallen out of
the pit.

Luke 14:1-6
(1) And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they
watched him.
(2) And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
(3) And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
(4) And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
(5) And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out
on the sabbath day?
(6) And they could not answer him again to these things.

Sunday is a day of work for many ministers. Though they might work everyday of the week. Yet by tradition the Jewish
Sabbath was on Saturday. And to work it was unlawful by religious law as well as legal law. Jesus says to these leaders, would
you help your oxen out of a ditch though it be unlawful to do so. The point of the law is to point out sin. Yet no one obeys the
whole law. Even the leaders would break the law to help their animal on the Sabbath. Is the law bad of course not. The problem
is not the law. The problem is taking that law to extreme that does not allow you to do what is right. It is abuse of the law. You
can not write everything into the law. Lawyers in our country do their best to make sure all legal rights do not destroy the main
point of the law. The law that said do not work on the Sabbath day was to give a day of rest from a long week of work, but it
was not to keep people from doing a good deed on the Sabbath. We all sin and even with sin sometimes it helps someone else.
Odd to say that but sin sometimes helps someone else, though it does not help the one doing the sin. That is why we have judges
to determine if the law was truly broken. Let us look at the next passage.

Luke 14:7-15
(7) And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto
them,
(8) When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be
bidden of him;
(9) And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest
room.
(10) But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee,
Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
(11) For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
(12) Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren,
neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
(13) But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
(14) And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
(15) And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in
the kingdom of God.

Have you ever been to a birthday party and a person take the birthday person’s seat. Or go to a wedding feast and someone
wants to be noticed that is not the bride and groom. Well Christ made it clear that it was not proper to take the choice seat. Why
because it was never attended for you. However if you go to a party and are the guest of honor yet you do not know it then the
sit is yours.

Have you ever tried to repay someone that invited you to dinner. Of course we all do it. It called proper etiquette. Someone
takes you for dinner you repay with dinner of your own. However if you give to the poor they can never repay you. No matter
what. Yet they will will rewarded at the resurrection. Here the point Do not exalt yourself and do not give in the form of charity
but to people who can not repay you. Your reward will be in heaven. Those you help will be rewarded as well. Why would this
be so. God grace by sending His Son is a gift that can not be repaid. Our efforts are fruitless. However God does ask us to obey
Him upon us receiving His gift of salvation. Yet it should have been something we already were doing, because the law can be
summoned up in two laws. To love God and to love your neighbor has yourself. Now with this said, this is profitable for all
people, believers or non believers. However is only given to those that believe. Yet even none believers believe to do good. Next
passage let us continue.

Luke 14:16-24
(16) Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
(17) And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
(18) And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must
needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
(19) And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
(20) And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
(21) So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go
out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
(22) And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
(23) And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may
be filled.
(24) For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

I talk about free will a lot and when I read these verses and will I have to ask was free will given when the invite of dinner was
given, of course not. Each having a legitimate excuse why they could not be there. However that meant there was room at the
table. A table full of food waiting to be eaten. And the master said go get those that were not invited even those on the street
because he was angry, but there was still room at the table. He told them to go and get everyone. Those that refused to come
would not get dinner.

Though God gives choices, when He calls he expects us to come. If you ever worked for anyone you know if you are called
they expect you to appear at work or in the office or department in which you were called too. If you say you have no time, then
you have no job. God is like that when He calls He expects us to obey. To step up to the plate. Even if we are unsure of the
task. Why because God wants us to rely on Him and not our own strength. God wants us to wake up to who He is and that He
loves us. However it sometimes takes us saying you called I will obey. Yet no one does. Let us look at the next passage.

Luke 14:25-35
(25) And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
(26) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his
own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
(27) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
(28) For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to
finish it?
(29) Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
(30) Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
(31) Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten
thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
(32) Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
(33) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
(34) Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
(35) It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

God expects us to step up and bear our burden in life in service to Him. Whether we are Christians or not we all have a cross to
bear. We might not realize we are bearing a cross. For those seeped in sin are bearing a cross of do not do what I do. And those
living for Jesus are bearing a cross that says I live for Jesus. I live to share the gospel of Christ. We all called to share the gospel
that are saved. Yet many carry cross of sin. Sin that leads to death and not life eternal with Christ Jesus. You can carry your
cross for Jesus or you can carry your cross for society sake. A life without Christ, without forgiveness, with bitterness, strife,
anger, resentment and so forth. People without the love of Jesus can not bear the cross of sacrificial love. Many bear the cross of
sacrificial hate. Meaning they sacrifice valuable time to hate and not to love. Sacrificial hate is to constantly remind a person all
the bad things. How often we try to forget the bad things in life and go on with good things. Yet if the reminder is constant then
love can not reign. God is asking all to give up the anger, the hate, the strife, the bitterness, our sinful ways and take up our cross
and follow Him.

To put aside our malice, and evil ways. Have you really thought what it means to bear your cross. It is about allowing the love of
God be full and rich in our lives with forgiveness and mercy toward others. Gift giving is something everyone does. Most people
want high position in life. Yet to truly to take up our cross is to be humble and a servant to all with love and grace for others.
Our foundation in Christ begins with understanding God loves us. Yet it does not end there. Have you counted the cost of
following Jesus. It could mean risking your neck to help and love someone that seems unlovable. Like the people wearing tattoos
or living on the streets. Maybe caring for people others care little about. Even the rich people on top with all the gold. To love is
to love all people even the neighbor that can be trouble. Learning to take the risk as God leads to share the Gospel of Jesus. No
matter what station in life we all have a responsibility to share Jesus. Even Microsoft got a Bible site. If you building a building
you think about how to build it. However the buildings of God come with His building blocks and not with ours. We just have to
decide to allow God to build the work He wants us to do. I posted my first preaching video on U tube you can find it by typing
my site name.

What is salt if it loose it saltiness. Fact is we need Christ in our life, we need His love to permeate our hearts. Without Him we
can not and will not have the love he has for others. And love and mercy takes a life time to learn, for trouble will come and go
through a person’s life.